Overview
Overview
Jefferson County is located in the northern tier of New York State at the Junction of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Jefferson County was originally inhabited by the Oneida Indian Nation which thrived on the abundant natural resources.
The origins of Arbor Day (J. Sterling Morton), the Dewey Decimal System (Melville Dewey), the Five and Dime Store (Woolworth's), Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and Thousand Islands Dressing, can all be traced to Jefferson County.
Key Aspects
Key Aspects
Main Industries: Jefferson County is home to Fort Drum with more than 36,900 soldiers, family members and civilian employees of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). Fort Drum is the largest Army installation in the Northeast.
Education: Jefferson Community College in Watertown provides higher education within the county.
Land: The Black River, which empties into Lake Ontario, is an important waterway in the county. Part of the Tug Hill Plateau is in the southern part of the county. The county also includes nearby islands in the St. Lawrence River, including such large islands as Carleton Island, Grindstone Island, and Wellesley Island.
There are fifteen state parks in Jefferson County, many of which offer scenic views of Lake Ontario or the Thousand Islands. In fact, two are only accessible by boat. There are nine state forests in Jefferson County comprising of 15,988 acres. The county also contains ten wildlife management areas that provide an additional 17,530 acres of open land for outdoor recreation. Jefferson County has over 200 dairy farms.
Elected Officials
Elected Officials
Chairperson, Board of Legislators - William W. Johnson
Municipalities
Municipalities
- Watertown, City of
- Adams, Town of
- Alexandria, Town of
- Antwerp, Town of
- Brownville, Town of
- Brownville, Village of
- Dexter, Village of
- Glen Park, Village of (shared with the Town of Pamelia)
- Cape Vincent, Town of
- Champion, Town of
- Clayton, Town of
- Ellisburg, Town of
- Ellisburg, Village of
- Mannsville, Village of
- Henderson, Town of
- Hounsfield, Town of
- Sackets Harbor, Village of
- Le Ray, Town of
- Black River, Village of (shared with the Town of Rutland)
- Evans Mills, Village of
- Lorraine, Town of
- Lyme, Town of
- Orleans, Town of
- Pamelia, Town of
- Philadelphia, Town of
- Philadelphia, Village of
- Rodman, Town of
- Rutland, Town of
- Theresa, Town of
- Watertown, Town of
- Wilna, Town of
- Carthage, Village of
- Deferiet, Village of
- Worth, Town of